First Day of Summer
by chrisfardell
Summary: In Lawndale, it is the first day of Summer. The summer before Daria starts college. Helen gives Daria and Quinn an ultimatum, to find a job for the summer during the day, or she will find an activity for them. What happens as they go through the town on their search?


**First Day of Summer**

**Lawndale, Saturday, June 10, 2000**

**Daria's Day**

_1111 Glen Oaks Lane_

Daria yawned as she entered the kitchen. Her mother was already up, talking on the phone to her boss.

"No, Eric. I will be there."

There was a pause.

"Yes. I will be there before ten."

Daria put her breakfast together before her mother finished the conversation.

"Daria, you're awake," her mother said.

She looked at the clock. A quarter past nine. "Yes, otherwise I would be sleepwalking."

"What are you planning on doing this summer? I know you hated that Ok to Cry Corral place so I am giving you today to decide what to do. What do you say?"

"Ok," Daria said flatly.

Her mother looked concerned. "Is that all? Just 'ok'?"

"I will look around town and find something to do over summer. If there is anything of worth for someone like me in a 'burb like this I'll find it," Daria said. 'I hope I can find something I will enjoy doing,' she thought.

"What do you mean, a 'burb like this? Lawndale has more options than most American suburbs. Certainly a lot more than that place in Texas!" her mother said.

"It was a joke, mother," Daria said.

"Sometimes I can't tell if you are joking or not," Helen said as Daria put her plates in the sink.

"I will find something I like," Daria said as she went out of the kitchen. 'I have just less than eight hours to find something,' she thought.

She passed Quinn as she went back up to her room to call Jane. Quinn was dressed, as usual, in her butterfly shirt.

"Hi, Daria," Quinn said.

"Hi, Quinn."

There was no answer from the Lanes. 'Of course, both she and Trent are still asleep,' she thought. She would have to go over to Casa Lane and awaken Jane herself. She knew that Mystik Spiral had performed at the Zon the previous night.

As Daria left the house, she heard her mother giving Quinn the same ultimatum that she had given her.

"Good luck, sis," Daria said, as she shut the door. 'She shouldn't have quit her job at Governor's Park.'

Fifteen minutes later, Daria arrived at Casa Lane.

Jane came, bleary-eyed, in response to her knock. "Daria, don't you know what time it is?" she asked.

"Time to find an activity for the summer!" Daria said.

"Your mother gave you an ultimatum, didn't she?" Jane asked, with a smirk.

"You know me too well."

In the kitchen, after a refreshing coffee, Jane asked Daria about her plans for the day.

"We will walk around town, looking for activities that may interest me," Daria said. 'There has to be something,' she thought.

"I hope you have better luck than the first summer here," Jane said.

Daria recalled the events of her first summer in Lawndale. Whilst researching local history she had attracted the attention of some unsavoury figures. "That is unlikely to happen again," she said.

"So you say," Jane said.

Daria grumbled.

"Relax, it will be nothing like that summer, or the last summer," Jane said, with her voice trailing off.

Daria knew what Jane was thinking of. "That is all behind us," she said.

"Where are you planning to go first?" Jane asked.

"The Mall."

"Why there?"

"To get it out of the way."

"I suppose so."

After a quick breakfast, the two friends left Casa Lane and headed to the Mall.

"What are we doing here again?" Jane asked.

"To see what jobs are open for the summer," Daria said.

"You remember the last time, right?"

"I will not apply to any store where Kevin is working! Or to Nutty, Nutty, Nutty World!" Daria said.

"Of course not, but there is no way of telling if a place has hired Kevin or not," Jane said.

"We could ask him," Daria said.

"We could, if we run into him," Jane said.

"We're about to," Daria said, noticing the former Quarterback coming towards them.

"Oh," Jane said.

Kevin walked up to them, wearing his usual goofy grin. "Hi, Daria, Jane, what are you up to here?" he asked.

"Stuff," Daria said, deciding to let Jane ask Kevin whether he was working anywhere. 'Easier that way,' she thought.

"Say, Kevin, have you got a job anywhere?" Jane asked.

"A job? I have been looking, but nowhere will hire me. They all seemed to have heard about my time at that nut place a couple of years ago," Kevin said.

"You will find somewhere to work, Kevin," Daria said. 'It's bad enough that he has to repeat 12th grade,' she thought.

"Maybe somewhere other than the Mall, where it wouldn't be likely that they had heard about that experience," Jane said.

"Anything would have to be better than working for my father's building company!" Kevin said.

The two girls didn't say anything.

"I will see you around," Kevin said, as he went out of the Mall.

Daria and Jane watched him go. "I hope he finds what he is looking for," Jane said.

"Yeah," Daria said in agreement.

An hour later, they sat in the food court with pizza and cappuccinos. "Let's go over the options for the Mall once again," Jane said.

"Most likely position for me to take; sales assistant at Books by the Ton," Daria said. 'If I have to work in the Mall, that would be the most tolerable,' she thought.

"Next?" Jane asked.

"Checkout duty at Cashmans; Not very likely!"

"Definitely not for you," Jane commented.

"Though maybe for Quinn," Daria said with a Mona Lisa smile.

"Certainly," Jane said.

"Assistant at Our Furry and Scaly Friends."

"Isn't that where Quinn worked when you were at the nut store?"

"Yes. But I'm not likely to cause the same problems that she did. I also can get along with animals," Daria said.

"Sure," Jane said, smirking.

"Three sales assistant positions across two newsagencies."

"Almost as good as the book store position?"

"Possibly, Shelf stacking in Wal-Mart."

"At least you don't have to see people."

"True, Box Office Sales person at the Cinema," Daria asked.

"You get to see parts of the films for free," Jane said.

"That's a plus," Daria said. 'If I don't get the bookstore position that would be the next one I would go for.'

"What's next?" Jane asked with a slight laugh.

"Sales assistant at The Candy Shack."

"Maybe not."

"Sales assistant at Toy Universe."

"Now you're grasping at straws," Jane said.

"Nah, just remembering something to do with the Good Time Chinese Restaurant," Daria said. 'I still don't know what to make of that experience,' she thought.

"Let's not worry about that for now," Jane said.

"Going next – Barista at the Mall Cybercafé."

"How hard can it be?" Jane said with a shrug.

"Sales assistant at Burger World."

"I don't see you asking 'Would you like fries with that?'" Jane said.

"Neither do I."

"Anything else left?"

"Mall security."

"I don't see you as a Mall Cop."

"That is grasping at straws, isn't it," Daria said.

"Is that all? I could have sworn there was more," Jane said.

"Nothing that I picked up. We do have the rest of Lawndale to look at and around six and a half hours to get everywhere," Daria said.

"True," Jane said.

The two friends then continued eating their pizzas. They were ready to go when someone they knew came into the food court.

"Daria, Jane!" Cindy Brolsma called as she ran over to them.

"Hi, Cindy," Jane said.

"I was going to say, thank you for asking me about the early graduation. Otherwise I wouldn't have talked to anyone about it. Apart from Kristen that is, you know who she is, don't you?" Cindy asked.

"No," Daria said.

"I think so," Jane said.

"She didn't graduate with us. That was her sister, Kelly. They both look similar, gothic, black haired with a red fringe," Cindy said.

"Now I remember. She was in the Language Arts Class that I taught," Daria said.

"Yeah, you hung out together most of the time," Jane said.

"Quite true. You might say that our friendship is similar to that between you two," Cindy said.

"Ok," Jane said.

'I guess so,' Daria thought.

"As for Kelly, she is almost as misanthropic as yourself, Daria," Cindy said.

"I guess so. I don't think she was ever in my classes," Daria said. 'I certainly would remember someone with that description. When I think Goth, I think Andrea,' she thought.

"Nor in mine," Jane said, with a shrug.

"Kristen did say that her sister was not that keen on attendance, more than once," Cindy said.

'I get it,' Daria thought.

"We're about to go downtown to look for summer jobs, would you like to come with?" Jane asked.

"I would like to, but I am meeting Kristen for a movie. Maybe afterwards?"

"We may be at the town library by three," Daria said.

"That would be cool," Cindy said, as she took out a PDA. She entered a note using a note-taking application. "Done. I will meet you there."

"Cool," Daria said.

"See ya," Jane said. They then left the food court.

Daria and Jane got off the bus near the intersection between Dega Street and Main Street.

"Where would you like to start? Go along Dega Street, or along Main?" Jane asked.

"I doubt there would be anywhere I would want to work at along Dega," Daria said. 'I'm not going to be a barmaid at the Zon!'

"There is that magazine that Monique works at."

'No way.' "Isn't she Trent's ex-girlfriend?"

"So?"

"Wouldn't that be, awkward?"

"Not that awkward! At least give it a shot!"

"Ok. But that is _all_ we are doing on Dega!"

"Deal!"

'I hope so,' Daria thought as they started going along that street. She looked up the street, trying to see anything that would be of interest.

Daria looked at the _Dega L'dale Gothic Magazine _building as she and Jane approached it. It was a well-kept building that dated from the early 1930's and still had much of its Art Deco looks. "You called ahead while we were at the Mall, didn't you?" she asked.

"You know me too well."

Daria sighed.

"So you would like a job for the summer, Daria?" Monique asked when Daria had sat down in her sub-editor's office.

"Not by choice. But a job here would be at least related to what I will be studying in College," Daria said.

"So, what are you studying in College, and where?"

"Double Major of English and History at Raft."

"Raft has a very good reputation. You have done well, Daria, I barely got into Lawndale State."

"Oh."

"Toughest four years of my life, but it was worth it!"

"No doubt," Daria said. 'I imagine that her music paid for all her expenses whilst she was in college,' she thought.

"That's how I got the job I have now. The Harpies were going nowhere. We still play at the Zon occasionally though."

"Um, yeah," Daria said, afraid that she would mention Mystik Spiral and set Monique off by accident.

"Sorry, went off track there," Monique apologised. "There are a few positions available. Many of them are a good compliment for your College choices."

"You think so?" Daria asked.

"Certainly for English," Monique said.

"True," Daria admitted.

Monique handed Daria several application forms. "Have a look at the positions, and you can return them, filled in, in the morning," she said.

"Thank you for your time, Monique," Daria said after giving each form a brief look over. All of them were of some interest.

"You're welcome."

"I better get going, before Jane organises another interview behind my back," Daria said as she opened the door.

Monique quietly laughed. "That's Jane for you," she said.

Daria flashed a Mona Lisa smile before leaving the room. 'Although I'm not sure where she would be organising such an interview.'

"Where are you going next?"

"Main Street."

Daria and Jane waved goodbye to Monique as they left the building. "See, that was constructive," Jane said.

"Yes, I have five application forms from one company, on top of what I have from the Mall," Daria said, as they walked back towards Main Street.

"Next, you can apply for a job at Dan's Stationers," Jane suggested.

"Isn't that the place where you met Nathan?"

"Oh, yeah."

"I will look there. But if we run into Nathan..."

"I don't want to run into him anyway!"

'Good!' She didn't want to think about what would happen if Jane did run into Nathan. Even after six months it was a sore spot.

Daria and Jane exited Dan's Stationers without seeing either Nathan or Tom. (Not that they expected to see the latter, Daria just remembered that Tom was with them when Jane had met Nathan...)

Dan's Stationers hadn't had any positions available, nor did the next few stores they looked at.

Fifty minutes later, Jane and Daria had lunch at the Pizza King. "So on top of the Mall, and the Gothic Magazine, what do we have now?" Jane asked.

Daria placed the application forms next to her Pizza. She put the Mall and Gothic Magazine forms aside.

"Viv's Videos," she said.

"The clerk was surprised when you asked for the application form."

"That put it lightly," Daria said.

Jane laughed.

Daria removed the Viv's Videos form and placed it on the other forms. "Lawndale Second Hand Bookstore."

"Go for it," Jane said encouragingly.

Daria smirked and continued to the next form. However, they were interrupted by Brittany Taylor...

"Hi, Daria. Hi, Jane!"

"Hi Brittany," Daria said, annoyed at the former head cheerleader.

"What are you up to?" Brittany asked.

"Looking for summer jobs. At least Daria is," Jane said.

"Oo-oh," Brittany said.

"What are you doing?" Daria asked.

"Nothing, wandering around Lawndale."

"You miss Kevin, don't you?" Jane asked.

Brittany sat down next to Jane and started crying. "We have been going out since middle school!" she said.

Daria winced at Brittany's higher-than-usual squeaking. Awkwardly she tried to reassure her. "There, there," she said.

"I knew his grades were low, but not _that _low!"

"Don't worry, Brittany. You'll find someone in college," Jane said.

"You think so?" Brittany said.

"Of course," Daria said.

Brittany thought for a moment. "Yes, I will, but I still miss Kevie!"

"Of course you will miss him, but you can't spend the rest of your life pining after him," Jane said.

'I'm not going to pine after Tom. I know that,' Daria thought.

Brittany twirled her hair in thought. "You're right," she said.

They sat in silence for a few moments. "So, what jobs are you looking for?" Brittany asked.

"Something that will not send me insane," Daria said.

"A place that is not like that nut place," Jane said.

"Oo-oh," Brittany said.

"Something which will prepare me for college," Daria said.

"You got into Raft, right?" Brittany asked.

"Yes," Daria said, wondering what Brittany was asking now.

"Great Prairie State doesn't have as good a reputation," Brittany said.

"Was that your only choice?" Jane asked.

"No, I had Lawndale State as a safety, but Raft was my first choice!"

"Oh!" Daria said. 'I don't know how I would have reacted to Brittany going to Raft,' she thought.

"At least you are going to college in the Fall. I have to wait until next semester," Jane said.

Brittany gave Jane a confused look.

"Late entry. I initially didn't want to go," Jane said.

"Oh, So where..."

"BFAC. Boston Fine Arts College."

"Is that good?" Brittany asked.

"One of the best in the New England States," Jane said.

After they left the Pizza King (after Brittany left), Jane and Daria made their way to the town library.

Daria walked up to the main desk. "Are there any job vacancies for former High School students during their summer prior to College?" she asked.

The librarian looked surprised. "Wait a moment," she said. She went and checked a nearby computer.

She soon came back.

"Actually, there are two positions for assistant librarian and a position for an archivist's assistant," the librarian said.

"I would like a form for both positions," Daria said.

The librarian winked at Daria."I knew that you would want both," she said. She went to get the forms.

Daria and Jane sat at a table between the Fiction and Non-Fiction sections of the library to wait for Cindy and Kristen. Daria looked over the library application forms prior to grabbing a copy of Isaac Asimov's _Nightfall_ whilstJane read a book on the life of Leonardo da Vinci and how it influenced his paintings.

30 minutes later, Daria heard Cindy say "Here they are." She looked and saw Cindy and a girl matching Cindy's description of Kristen.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi, Daria, Jane," Kristen said, uncertainly.

"Hi," Jane said.

'I guess that my reputation precedes me,' Daria thought. She remembered meeting Andrea at Payday over a year before.

"_Andrea?"_

"_Well, you found me. Now you can make fun of the pathetic Goth chick whose parents make her work at a crappy job in a stupid warehouse store. Go on, cut me up like you do __everyone else.__"_

"_I just want a shoe lace."_

"_Oh, shoe laces. Aisle 197b."_

"_Thanks. Um, we never saw you."_

Daria came out of her remembrance. "Hi, Kristen," she said, with slight warmth.

"I must thank you for last night, Daria. Cindy has been worrying that she won't know anyone when she starts at Raft," Kristen said.

"Really?" Jane asked.

"Yes," Cindy said.

"OK," Daria said.

"So your sister isn't going to Raft?" Jane asked.

"No, Kelly's truancy means that she barely passed senior year, and so she is going to Lawndale Community College," Kristen said, with annoyance.

"I hardly know Kelly anyway," Cindy said.

"I guess so," Jane said.

'Of course,' Daria thought.

"I am happy to know that I will know somebody when I go to Boston this fall," Cindy said.

Daria smiled her Mona Lisa smile "And I won't have to wait until spring to have someone I know close by." She shot an apologetic look at Jane.

Jane shrugged.

"Your reputation precedes you, Daria. I expected someone more, brusque," Kristen said.

"Um, yeah, I guess I have softened up over the past year," Daria said.

"A certain boy has had an influence, I guess," Jane said with a smirk.

"More like I have matured," Daria said with her usual snarkiness.

Cindy and Kristen exchanged a look. "That's the Daria I've heard of," Kristen said.

Cindy nodded before saying. "A boyfriend?"

"We have broken up," Daria said, with a slight indication of sadness.

"Sorry," Cindy said.

"No problem., I was the one who broke it off," Daria said.

"Oh," Cindy said.

"They were going in completely different directions," Jane said.

Daria glared at Jane.

"So he wasn't going to Raft, or any other Boston college. That wouldn't have been the end of the world," Cindy said. She noticed Daria's look. "Or would it have been?"

"No, he's going to Bromwell," Daria said, pronouncing the school's name in a posh tone.

"Bromwell! You mean he was a Fielding boy?" Kristen asked.

Daria nodded.

"And not just any 'Fielding boy,'" Jane said.

"Jane!" Daria warned.

"Right, too much information, too fast," Jane murmered.

"I'm not one for gossip anyway," Kristen said.

"I guess I will found out in Boston," Cindy said.

"Maybe, or maybe sometime this summer," Daria said.

"Sure," Cindy said.

'I wonder how she would react,' Daria wondered.

After waving goodbye to Cindy and Kristen as they walked away from the library, Daria looked at the clock on above the check in desk. "4:20. Jane, we need to hurry if we are to get to the rest of Lawndale before close of business."

"Right after you, Amiga," Jane said as she came out of the library. She took out a copy of the map of Lawndale. "Ok, we have done the Lawndale Mall, Dega Street, Main Street and the Library."

Daria looked at the map. "That leaves Cranberry Commons, the various stores on First, through to Fourth Streets and the various neighbourhood stores scattered around town, we wouldn't be able to get to all of them."

"Well, Cranberry Commons is only a couple of blocks away..." Jane said.

"Let's go," Daria said.

"It should be quick," Jane said.

'It should be,.'

Of course, it wasn't that easy. They had to cross Burnstein Road, one of the main routes through town that lead towards the _crazy_ intersection that the locals called Seven Corners. As such they lost about 10 minutes waiting for a gap in traffic.

"This is crazy," Jane said after five minutes.

"And somehow the city council doesn't see a need for a zebra crossing." Daria said.

"That's one thing you can do this summer," Jane suggested.

Daria grumbled.

Cranberry Commons was about as large as the Lawndale Mall and looked rather similar. It was rather easy for newcomers to be confused. Daria remembered Quinn being so for the first two months after they had moved. 'It probably didn't help that they also had a Cashmans,' she reflected.

It was fortunate that Cranberry Commons had less stores that Daria was interested in. She only grabbed three application forms from a second hand bookstore and a newsagency. As they were leaving that Mall they ran into another person they knew. "Hi, Daria, Jane," Michael 'Mack' MacKenzie said.

"Hi, Mack," Jane said.

"Hi," Daria said.

"How are things going?" Mack asked.

"Alright," Jane said.

"Looking for summer jobs," Daria said.

"The usual, huh?" Mack asked.

"Yeah," Daria said.

They talked for a few minutes before parting ways.

Daria and Jane approached the Morgendorffer's house at 6:20, they had been unable to get to all of the neighbourhood shops, but Daria considered the day a success nevertheless.

Daria opened the door to find the former Fashion Club in the living room.

"...Gee, Quinn, why don't you just kick me out of here," Sandi said.

"_Sandi!_ Just because we disagree about all of our summer plans doesn't mean we are no longer friends!" Quinn said.

Sandi crossed her arms and glared. "I guess so," she said.

Stacy saw Daria and Jane enter and ran over to them before they could head up the stairs. "Thank goodness you're here. They have been rather hostile all afternoon!" she said.

"Excuse me?" Jane asked.

"Sandi has been more bossy than usual since we broke up the Fashion Club," Stacy said.

'More of the usual,' Daria thought.

"No real news there," Jane said.

"Unfortunately, yes," Stacy said, whilst Quinn and Sandi continued to argue in the background and Tiffany walked up to the trio.

"You have to dooo somethiiing about it," Tiffany said.

"Stacy, Tiffany, the problem between Quinn and Sandi is theirs to resolve. It won't help matters if Jane or I interfere," Daria said. 'And I don't _want_ to be involved in any fight between them,' she thought.

"It doesn't help that they don't have anything in common rather than their interest in fashion," Stacy said.

Tiffany nodded.

"Right," Daria said. 'They aren't compatible at all. No wonder they are fighting,' she thought.

"No wonder they're frenemies," Jane murmered.

"Frenemies?" Tiffany wondered.

"Frenemy; an enemy disguised as a friend, or otherwise a friend whose words or actions bring you down," Stacy said. She covered her mouth with her hands briefly. "I don't know how I knew that, but it describes my relationship with Sandi to a t!"

"Definitely," Daria said. She looked over into the living room. Sandi was sitting on one of the lounge segments looking at the television. Quinn appeared to have gone into the kitchen. "Let's continue this discussion upstairs," she said.

"Ok," Stacy said.

"Okaay."

"Are you sure about this?" Jane discreetly asked Daria as they reached the top of the stairs.

"Yes."

"Just making sure."

Daria opened her bedroom door.

"Come in," she said.

Jane entered the room first, followed by Tiffany. "Unusual roo-oom."

"Padded walls?" Stacy asked as she entered the room.

"The family who owned the house before the Morgendorffers had a psychotic relative," Jane said.

"Um, Ok," Stacy said.

Daria went to her desk and sat on the chair. She faced the others. "Please, take a seat on the bed."

Jane sat on the floor between the bed and the television. Tiffany just sat on the bed, whilst Stacy looked around nervously before sitting on the bed.

"So, can you tell us how the situation started today?" Daria asked.

"Sure," Stacy said.

Daria motioned for her to continue.

"We all met at Sandi's house this morning, and Quinn said that she needed to look for work for the summer. That was what their first argument was about," Stacy began.

"I see," Daria said.

"That was just the start of their disagreements. There was a big argument when we ran into her friend, Lindy, at Cranberry Commons," Stacy paused for breath. "But I'm getting ahead of myself."

"Take your time," Daria said.

"First, Quinn talked to Sam..."

Five to ten minutes later, Stacy's monologue was interrupted by Quinn entering the room. "Yes, Sandi has stormed out," she said.

"Oh no!" Stacy said.

"I guess I saw that coming," Jane said.

"You're not freaked out by Daria's room?" Quinn asked.

"I was at first," Tiffany said.

"I'm still a little freaked out by it," Stacy said.

"It is quite weird," Quinn said.

"So about Sand-di?" Tiffany asked.

"She doesn't want me to work this summer. She said that the summer before senior year should be spent having fun. I told her that I was being pushed into it. _Then_ she suggested that I should hire David again," Quinn said.

"That isn't that bad," Daria said. 'Of course, she may have said a lot of other stuff, or implied it,' she thought.

"Admittedly, no, but it was the way she said it. Also my STAT scores were a great improvement on the PSTAT, I don't need tutoring this summer. I'm confident I will get into Pepper Hill," Quinn said.

"But what will happen tomorrow?" Stacy asked.

"I have no idea, We'll meet here and see what happens," Quinn said.

"OK," Stacy said.

'Same too, sis,' Daria thought. They sat there for a while, thinking.

Five minutes later, Jake Morgendorffer came into the room. "Hey kids, dinner for eight is ready," he said.

"For eight?" Daria said, in surprise.

"Yeah, Kiddo, for you and Jane-o, and Quinn and her friends, as well as Mom and I. Someone seems to be missing..."

"Actually, Mr. Morgendorffer..." Stacy began.

But Jake interrupted. "I get it, she's in the bathroom, or something. Anyhow, The Dining Room is ready." He then left.

"I didn't know that you were having a large dinner here tonight?" Jane asked.

"Spur of the moment," Daria said.

"Yeah," Jane said as she went out the door.

"I hope that there aren't too many calories in the dinner," Stacy said.

"Calories are the least of the worries," Quinn said as she passed Daria.

"O-oh?"

"He cooks a lot of _weird_ stuff," Quinn said.

"Okay," Stacy said.

"Wie-erd?"

"You'll see," Quinn said.

Daria followed them out.

While dinner was going on Helen arrived home. "Jake, what have you made this time?" she asked as she came into the Dining Room, where everyone was starting to eat.

"Chicken soup with some bolognaise on the side!"

"That's not that bad, I guess, but what did you put in it?"

"A small amount of pepper and chilli peppers," Jake said.

Daria looked at her bolognaise, she could see more than a small amount of chopped chilli peppers.

"Jake!"

"Ow! My tongue! Ow, OW. OWCH!" Stacy cried out.

"Da-ad!" Quinn said, as she gave Stacy a glass of milk.

However, Daria could see that the milk wasn't enough. Stacy was still distressed and ran out of the dining room into the kitchen.

Quinn glared at her father before following Stacy out of the room.

"Now, look at what you did to that poor girl!" Helen said.

"OK, that was too many chilli peppers," Jake said.

"I think I better eat at home," Tiffany said.

After the disastrous dinner, Jane went home, agreeing to meet Daria at the Zon later in the night. Daria went to her room to write.

Daria arrived at the Zon, at 9:00 and went inside. She met Jane almost immediately. "Finally, the Spiral is about to start," she said.

"Sorry, I was on a roll."

"Good story?" Jane asked.

"Melody in the Amazon," Daria said.

"Sounds Cool," Jane said.

"They're up," Daria said as she saw Trent and his band go up on stage.

"Hey, We're Mystik Spiral, but we might change our name. And this is Freakin' Friends," Trent said.

"_When the aliens come, when the death rays hum, when the bummers bum, we'll still be freakin' friends!..._"

After the first set, Daria and Jane met Trent. "Hey, Janie, Hey, Daria," Trent said.

"That new song was good," Jane said.

"Really?" Trent asked.

"Good, as in as good as the song that started the set," Daria asked.

Trent, laughed, then coughed.

"Cool," Jesse Moreno said.

"So, coming to Cluster Burger afterwards?" Trent asked.

"Sure," Jane said.

"Sure," Daria said.

"Cool," Trent said.

After the second set, Daria, Jane and Mystik Spiral went to Cluster Burger.


End file.
